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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dvdpinson.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/10\/greek-poster.jpg\" "\\"Greek")
<\/a>\nThere is a moment about an hour into the new comedy, \u201cGet Him to the Greek,\u201d where the film\u2019s stars, Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, emerge running from a Las Vegas hotel in glorious slow motion. The image is almost Scorsesian and would have fit perfectly in \u201cGoodfellas\u201d had that film been about a drug addled rock star instead of a drug addled mobster. As they race from the building, Brand is wearing a Cheshire Cat worthy grin that encapsulates the joy and chaos of the situation while also embodying the entire spirit of the film. It is a near perfect moment and the exact point in which I feel in love with \u201cGet Him to the Greek\u201d.<\/p>\n
The movie is the story of up-and-coming record executive, Aaron Green (Hill), who is charged with the task of transporting aging rock star, Aldous Snow (Brand), from London to Los Angeles for a huge concert at the Greek Theater. Hence the title, \u201cGet Him to the Greek\u201d. When given the opportunity to wrangle Snow by his boss, Sergio Roma (Sean \u2018P. Diddy\u2019 Combs), Green isn\u2019t too concerned because he has three days to safely bring him back. Of course, it won\u2019t be that easy.<\/p>\n
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Green arrives in London to find Snow in the midst of a drug bender caused by the recent break up with his longtime girlfriend Jackie Q. (Rose Byrne). When Green attempts to focus the situation and get anything accomplished (like getting Snow on an airplane), he is met with nothing but childish resistance. The pair does eventually begin their travel west but the trek is slowed and hindered by stop offs in New York and Las Vegas mixed with brief abuses of one hundred year old Absinthe and the consumption of some bizarre drug concoction referred to as \u201cJeffery\u201d. As time moves along friendships are formed, issues are discovered and vomit is discharged. None of which matters as long as the great Aldous Snow gets to the gig in time.<\/p>\n
While huge and successful in his homeland of Great Britain, comedian Brand has been a tough sell here in the States. Up until now he is best known for historically bombing TWICE as host of the MTV Music Video Awards. His most promising project to date has been his small role in \u201cForgetting Sarah Marshall\u201d where he originated the character of Aldous Snow. With \u201cGet Him to the Greek,\u201d Brand is given an opportunity to take center stage and try, once again, to win over the American public.\u00a0 The film has a critical sense to get that done; an underlying make or break urgency that somehow doesn\u2019t come across as too needy. This is a film that exists to get you on board with the rest of us and see Brand for what he is- a comedic punk genius that demands to be adored and admired. Director Nicholas Stoller and producer Judd Apatow make a great creative team. Stroller found early work on Apatow\u2019s short-lived television show, \u201cUndeclared\u201d and later the two worked together on \u201cSarah Marshall\u201d. Acting as both writer and director this time around, Stroller\u2019s greatest accomplishment here is placing us into the mad world of Aldous Snow which presents the hard partying side of show business that we\u2019d all like to experience. Apatow\u2019s fingerprints are pretty apparent as well and all the characters become living, breathing people with real problems to overcome. \u201cGet Him to the Greek\u201d is hilarious film with a heart and should do well in making Russell Brand the star that he already knows he is.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong> The idea of presenting human babies in a nature documentary is a stroke of genius that reminds us that we are all connected to the world around us. \u201cBabies\u201d, a French film by director Thomas Balmes, presents four babies from different corners of the world. There is Mari, born in Tokyo, Japan, who is an only child that proves to be a spunky little girl that needs to work on her coping skills. On a vast farm in Mongolia we meet Bayar, a baby boy that has more personality than most adults you know. Hattie is a girl who lives in San Francisco with her pseudo-hippie parents. Finally, with the most eye-opening footage in the film, we are introduced to Ponijao who lives in Namibia, Africa and learns to strive in a world that seems completely foreign to our Western sensibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cBabies\u201d is proof that we are all born the same clean slate and are then shaped by our surroundings. By showing parallel footage of the four babies playing, crawling and learning to talk and walk, it is easy to make connections between the differences and similarities of the various cultures around the world. We see Hattie being coddled by her overbearing parents while Ponijao seems to be rooting through the dirt unsupervised. She isn\u2019t, it is just a different way to parent. Bayar gets into all sorts of trouble and as the film progresses, the different situations he gets himself into becomes increasingly laughable and endearing.<\/p>\n The filmmakers followed each child for a little more than a year and captured some remarkably magic moments. We watch Mari struggle with her toys and lose it when things don\u2019t go her way. Hattie makes a mess in her diaper to her cat\u2019s disgust. Ponijao plays a game of balance with a cup on her head that is jaw dropping once you realize the child\u2019s age. Bayar is my favorite and has so much attitude it is sight to witness. The interaction between him and his older brother had me cracking up. In fact, the film invokes heart-warming laughter throughout.<\/p>\n The film has very little dialogue and plays like a standard nature film that is merely showcasing human nature in a very straightforward way. The images are breathtaking and \u201cBabies\u201d has moments where it looks like a standard narrative film with panning shots and extreme close-ups that place us directly into the location. During the 80 minute running time of the film, you will fall in love with all of these babies. They are adorable, huggable and will melt your heart. \u201cBabies\u201d will make you want one real bad.<\/p>\n
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\nThe rest of the cast surrounding Brand pulls the hard punches as well making for a hell of a funny flick. Hill plays the great straight man, running near blind through Snow\u2019s bungled and jumbled world. He portrays awkward moments with perfection and keeps the unorthodox happenings in the film grounded. There have been times in his past performances (\u201cSuperbad\u201d and \u201cFunny People\u201d) when I have been too aware of the fact that Hill is improvising his lines. Here, he has shed that tendency almost completely and gives a solid and honest performance. Sean \u2018P. Puff Diddy Daddy\u2019 Combs is absolutely awesome and owns more laugh-out-loud highlights than anyone else in the cast.<\/p>\nGrade: B+<\/h1>\n
Babies<\/h2>\n
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\nNature documentaries have made us accustom to seeing cute and cuddly creatures existing in their natural environments. Films like \u201cMarch of the Penguins\u201d and the recent release of Disneynature\u2019s \u201cOceans\u201d (Both of which are French productions) feature adorable little penguins and huggable polar bear cubs that melt our hearts and make us want one real bad.<\/p>\nGrade: B<\/h1>\n
Iron Man 2<\/h2>\n